Clasp for electrical conductors



Dec. 30. 1924,

E. B. LEWIS CLASP FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Filed Aug. 27. 1923 R O T NE V W Earle biflewa's ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1924..

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EARLEB. LEWIS, 0F WATERIBURY, CONNECTICUT.

CLASP ron ELECTRICAL oounucrons.

Application filed August 27, 1923. Serial No. 659,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE B. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Waterbury, county ofNew Haven, and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps forElectrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to radio apparatus, and more particularly to aclasp for connecting the terminal of an electrical conducting wire to asecond conducting wire, or to a binding post or other electricalconductor.

One object of the invention is to provide a wire terminal clasp having apair of spring-pressed pivoted metallicv jaws, said jaws being providedwith intermeshing teeth along their sides as well as their ends.

A further object of this invention is to provide a terminal clasp of theabove nature in which the rearof one of the jaws is provided with meansfor detachably holding the wire terminal, and the rear of the other jawcomprises a finger-en aging section for opening the jaws of the c asp.

A further object of the invention is to provideaterminal clasp of theabove nature which will be simple, cheap to manufacture, and veryeflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawings one form in which the invention may beconveniently embodied in practice.

i Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a wire terminal claspembodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the terminal holding jaw shown detachedfrom the fingerengaging jaw.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the same.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the clasp hereinillustrated consists of a lower jaw or terminal holding jaw lO, and anup per jaw or finger-engaging jaw 11. The forward parts of said jaws arerectangular, and are provided on their sides and ends with serratedupstanding flanges 12-in other words, said forward parts are shaped likea pair of open boxes. It will thus be seen that the wire binding post,or other conductor to which the clasp is to be apclamped by the endteeth, while if it is perpendicular, it will be clamped by the sideteeth.

The rear portions of the upper and lower members 10 and 11 are providedwith en larged ears 13, 14:, and 15, 16 respectively, said ears beingadapted to be brought into alinement to form a bearing for a pivot pin17. The teeth on the jaws 10 and 11 are adapted to be pressed togetherby means of a spiral spring 16 mounted on said pivot pin 17 The rearportion 18 of said upper jaw is reduced in width so that the ears 15 and16 will fit between the ears 13 and V 14.. The upper jaw is alsoprovided with an outwardly extending portion 19 having a smoothdepressed oval-shaped section 20 operator to cause the jaws to openagainst the tension of the spiral spring 16. The rear portions of theforward box-shaped sections of each of thejaws are provided with opposedsemi circular recesses 21, 22, adapted to form a circular aperture atthe rear of the serrated portions through which the end of a conductingwire, not shown, may be inserted prior to the opening of the jaws. i

In order to hold the terminal of the wire in position, the lower jaw 10is extended rearwardly and formed into a semi-tubular channel member 23.The channel member 23 is provided with a pair of transverse struck upportions 24 and 25 which are curved in the opposite direction from thecurvature of the channel member and together with the channel member 23form a tube for receiving a terminal wire 26/ A longitudinal tongue 27is also struck u from the channel member 23, and sai tongue is adaptedto form a hook for locking the bent end 28 of 'theterminal wire 26, asmost clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, when-it is desired to connect the terminal wire 26 with aconducting wire, binding post, or other conductor, the terminal wire 26will be first inserted through, the tubular guide in the channel member23, and the end of the terminal will be bent around the end of the hook27 to lock the wire 26 securely in position. If deadapted to be engagedby the finger of the i sired, the terminal may also be soldered to thechannel member. The operator will then manipulate the finger piece 19 toseparate the aws 10 and 11 of the clasp. The jaws will then be placedabout the conductor, not shown, and the finger-engaging jaw will bereleased, permitting the jaws to close upon the conductor under thespring tension.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in whichthe invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form isshown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified andembodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes all the modifications and embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a clasp for connecting an electrical conducting wire to anelectrical conductor, a pair of spring-pressed pivoted jaws adapted toclamp said conductor, one of said jaws having an outwardly extendingfingerengaging arm, and the other jaw having an inclined arm bent intothe shape of a section of a tube, said tubular arm having a series ofstruck-up portions adapted to form a guide for receiving the terminal ofsaid conducting wire, and a hook struck-up from said tube locking theend of said conducting wire.

2. In a clasp for electrioallyconnecting a conducting wire to aconduct-or, a pair of spring-pressed pivoted jaws adapted to clamp saidconductor, one of said jaws having a finger-engaging arm, the other jawhaving a rearwardly extending semi-tubular arm, a series of transverseportions struck up from said semi-tubular arm and bent intosemi-circular shape, said semi-tubular arm and said struck-up portionforming a tubular guide for said conducting wire, said semi-tubular armhaving a forwardly extending struck-up section to form a hook forlocking the end of said terminal.

3. In a clasp for electrically connecting a conducting wire to aconductor, a pair of spring-pressed pivoted jaws adapted to clamp saidconductor, one of said jaws having an outwardly extending fingerengagingarm, and the other of said jaws having an outwardly extending tubulararm for holding and locking said conducting Wire, said jaws beingprovided with intermeshing serrated edges, and recesses in the adjacentedges of said jaws to form an aperture for permitting the insertion of aconductor between said jaws, prior to the opening of said jaws.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature to this specification.

EARLE B. LEWIS.

